Hi,
I was recently bitten by the flashlight bug and found this forum. Seems to be lots of very knowledgeable people here.
I just received a new Bronte RA03 from DX which I like a lot. It uses 2 AAAs. The mfr recommends NiMH batteries.
I haven’t found a lot of info on NiMH chargers on the forum and wondered if someone could recommend a good one for, say, under $25-$30?
I already have an XTAR WP2 but that’s just for L-ion as far as I know.
Welcome to BLF! My personal favorite is the Intellicharge I4 as it can charge both nimh and Lion.
FWIW, I just received this a couple of weeks ago and think it is about as good of a deal as one can get.
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-BCG34HRE4KN-Refresh-Pre-Charged-Batteries/dp/B001DL9WDG
It is a smart charger instead of the typical dumb chargers that I have always used.
It will recharge any combination of AA or AAA cells.
It has a refresh function FWIW.
Comes with 4 pretty decent AA cells making it a bargain.
Add this to it and you will really be set.
I also have the WP2 so I didn’t go for one charger that does everything.
Of course if you don’t use AA cells as well then it may not be as good of a deal for you.
Wade
Thanks to this list, I have learned that the top recommendations are not the best for NiMH! I used to use those chargers and have destroyed more cells than I care to mention due to my ignorance and the way those chargers work. I no longer use dumb chargers like the energizer ones above. Stick with a smart charger like the one in my original post or the tenergy one he recommends.
Wade
If you already have a good li-ion charger (and WP2 is quite good IMO, have one personally), I’d suggest you NiMh charger only. And for that budget, BC700 is one of the best AFAIK (have one of this too :bigsmile: ). For 20 bucks more you have best chargers, i.e. Maha 9000 or BC1000 (but BC700 is better bung for the buck). Check this thread also.
+1 on BC700. Great charger.
+ 1 on the Maha C9000.
Had it been available at that price when I got the Sony I would have went for that instead.
Wade
If you are in the USA this is a good deal for $39.95 on a MAHA C9000
It also shows the stores with stock if you live close to one you can drop in and buy it, or pay for shipping if not.
if 30$ is the upper limit and you live in the US, then i'd buy the BC700 (BC means battery charger i guess lol, i dont have it but it's the most sold NiMH charger with LCD display on the planet) or try to find a used C9000 (C means charger i guess ;) ).
The C9000 is more powerful than the BC700 because 9000 > 700.
That's a pretty darn good deal. I think I really need a 3rd C9000. 
See this recent thread.
From that thread:
Two things you want to look for are: 1) "Smart Charger" - means it monitors the battery and stops charging when it's completely charged (as opposed to the usual "dumb" chargers that are timer based and can "cook" cells after they are fully charged). And 2) Able to charge single batteries (i.e. single-channel) so you're not stuck charging in pairs. If you have a 3 cell device (3AA light, 3AAA light, etc . . .) it's tough to charge the batteries in a 2 or 4 cell dual-channel charger
I bought the AccuPower IQ328 from Ebay (see thread here). I believe it's a BC-700 clone, however it does discharge tests at 500mA whereas the BC-700 only does 350mA (and only charges at 700mA max compared to 1000mA for the AccuPower). I really like mine. I also heard the BC-700 capacity tests come out higher than "true" (see the charts at the Ebay link - but I also read/saw this elsewhere).
If you don't want to discharge test your batteries, or don't need a high charge rate, go with the simple Sony. Only issue on the Sony is that there is only one LED, so you can't tell when individual cells are done charging.
-Garry
Thanks for all the great info — I really appreciate it. 
Just wondering — anyone have any thoughts or experience with this charger ?
That is indeed an exceptional deal. Never seen a C9000 that cheap, ever.
lol, that is quite a dumb comparison, my friend :bigsmile:
BC1000 is very similar to C9000 (tech specs), but much smaller/compact. Could be good or could be bad (because of the size, C9000 has better heatsinking, for example). 40 bucks for C9000 is an awesome price (unless you need to pay 15 bucks for shipping :bigsmile: )
You have come to the right place, bud!
